CD Reviews

Fireflies, honey sweet humid nights, and bluegrass

Katherine Lawrence | Boston, MA USA | 11/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard the Seldom Scene in an open air concert in rural West Virginia in 1973, a stone's throw from the C&O canal, and their music is never far away from me.This was, I believe, this first album and the music never grows old -- always fresh, bright, and crisp. Unlike some of their other albums, this is an marred by the caprice of exuberant concert goers competing with the musicians.Makes you want to sing, dance, hum, and even do house work with a smile.I was never a "Dead Head" but I became a "Scene Head" and if you get this album you might understand why."

The quintessential Seldom Scene

04/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album to me really sums up all that was great about the original Seldom Scene. This is not to say that later and current Scene rosters aren't great - they are (and I especially recommend that you check out the latest group with Dudley Connell et al!), but this album has that archetypal Seldom Scene ambiance to it. The classic vocal co-minglings of John Starling and John Duffey are, I believe, some of the great moments in bluegrass music. And Mike Auldridge provides an atmosphere of emotion and excitement with his resonator guitar. All together, the music of the Scene is a sum far greater than its parts. I recommend this album highly. If it's your first Seldom Scene album, I promise you'll be hooked."

The old group is the best of the best.

Josph Sedlmayer | Denver, Co. USA | 05/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any of the Seldom Seen discs will make any music fan get knots in their stomach, and a new and everlasting fan for life. They are top of the line. If you can wear out a C-D disc, mine will all be worn out soon."

Eleven Amazing Songs And One Classic

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 06/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the Seldom Scene's fourth album in two years, and it's everything you come to expect from this gifted Washington, D.C.-based band. First rate musicianship, tight harmonies and excellent song selection (including a couple of John Starling originals: "Different Roads" and "C & O Canal"). This album so closely folows the pattern set by their first three albums, it's surprising they didn't simply entitle it ACT FOUR.

This is a multi-faceted bluegrass band. They can be traditional. Just listen to John Duffey's high lonesome vocals on the old standard "Working on a Building" and the gospel number "Traveling On And On." But they can be progressive, too. The first five tracks feature guest guitarist/songwriter Paul Craft. You may not recognize the name, but he's written hundreds of songs, including "Midnight Flyer" (covered by the Egles), "Take Another Swing at Me" (covered by Randy Travis), and "Teardrops Will Kiss the Morning Dew" (by Alison Krauss). On this album, Craft wrote the instrumental "Appalachian Rain" and "Through the Bottom of a Glass," arguably the finest song recorded by the Seldom Scene, with a stellar vocal by John Starling backed by Linda Ronstadt and John Duffey, punctuated by Mike Auldridge's always tasty Dobro playing. Ricky Skaggs also shows up on three tracks playing either fiddle or viola.

I can think of no other bluegrass band whose first four albums were of such uniform excellence. If you are looking for a solid introduction to the Seldom Scene, you can't go wrong with any of them. However, I give the nod to this album simply for the inclusion of "Through the Bottom of a Glass." [Running Time - 32:30] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"